Bryan Adams was already popular in Canada when the release of his third album 'Cuts Like A Knife' in 1983 brought him a large following in the USA. His fourth album, 'Reckless', often referred to as one of the most significant of the 1980s, sold over 4 million copies at the time and continues to sell now. His fifth album 'Into the Fire' went platinum.
'Waking Up The Neighbours', his sixth album in 1991, powered him to international stardom. The single '(Everything I Do) I Do For You' spent 16 weeks at number 1; it broke a UK record that had stood since 1955 and still stands today. Across in the USA it became the second largest selling single to 'We Are The World'. The song was featured in the film 'Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves' (1991) and for this Mr Adams received his first Academy Award nomination. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe.
42 film Directors' have used Adams' music as soundtrack - from A Night In Heaven (1983) to Bobby (2007).
Adams was awarded the C.M. (Member of the Order of Canada) on April 20th 1998 and the C.O. (Officer of the Order of Canada) on May 6th 1988 for his contribution to popular music and his philanthropic work. He was also inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in 1998, and more recently inducted into the Music Hall of Fame at Canada's Juno Awards (the Canadian equivalent of the Grammys) in April 2006. Notably, Adams refuses to attend the awards; as his manager, Bruce Allen explains: "they turned their back on the biggest thing to come out of Canada"--in reference to the hit '(Everything I Do) I Do For You'.
Adams has been nominated for three Academy Awards for songwriting, and was recently nominated for his fifth Golden Globe (2007) for his songwriting in the film 'Bobby'.
Some trivia:
Bryan Adams shares the same birthday as Ryan Adams, the late Herman Brood and René Froger.
He attended the same high school as Michael J. Fox in Vancouver.
Of his #1 hits only one ('Please Forgive Me') was not written for a motion picture.
Bryan Adams is part Maltese. He Declared this on Tour in 2007 when he visited Malta.
Bryan Adams is also an acclaimed photographer. His works include his book "Made in Canada" http://www.photography.ca/photographer/adams_bryan.html
Bryan Adams also did a major part of the Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron soundtrack
Rebel
Bryan Adams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And everything looked just the same
The shops and the schools and the factories were there
But somehow the faces had changed
So he went for a walk in the high street
Took his coat off and rolled up his sleeves
He thought of his father and his father before him
Well he didn't come here for forgiveness
There isn't a lot they can say
'Cause I remember the reasons he first ran away
He's a rebel
Just a rebel
Got his back to the wall
Gonna fight 'til he falls
He's a rebel
Don't ever look back - don't surrender
The old men say they've seen it before
Oh they drink their beer and they talk about friends
Who didn't come back from the war
Don't say he's too young to remember
Don't tell him what's wrong or what's right
Just give him a chance to go out there and fight
He's a rebel
Just a rebel
All the battles are won
But he's still on the run
He's a rebel
When it comes time for leavin'
Don't stand in my way
There's nothin' left for me here
Gonna run, run away
In the morning he walks past the old house
In the rain under grey northern skies
There's a new coat of paint on the front garden gate
But there's more there than first meets the eye
For a moment he stands undecided
Looking back on the days of his youth
As two worlds collide in a moment of truth
He's a rebel
The song "Rebel" by Bryan Adams is about a young man who returns to his old hometown after some time has passed, and realizes that things have changed. The buildings and factories are the same, but the people aren't. He takes a walk down the high street and thinks about his father and ancestors and how he was the first one to leave the town. The young man isn't looking for forgiveness or acceptance; he's a rebel with his back against the wall, ready to fight until he falls.
The older generation advises the young man to not give up or look back, and to not let anyone tell him what to do. They recount their own stories of friends who didn't come back from war. The rebel is young but not too young to know what's right or wrong, and he should be given the chance to fight. He's a rebel who's on the run, and he won't let anyone stand in his way when it's time to leave. As he walks past his old house in the rain, he reflects on his youth and the collision of two worlds in a moment of truth.
The song speaks to the power of rebellion and individuality. It's a reminder to young people to not let anyone hold them back, and to stand up for themselves and their beliefs. The rebel in the song is an archetype of the youthful and restless desire for independence, and the struggle for self-discovery.
Line by Line Meaning
He made his way back to the old town
He returned to his childhood town
And everything looked just the same
The town hadn't changed much in appearance
The shops and the schools and the factories were there
The town's major establishments still existed
But somehow the faces had changed
The people living in the town had changed
So he went for a walk in the high street
He took a stroll in the town's main street
Took his coat off and rolled up his sleeves
He prepared to engage in some kind of activity that required him to take off his coat and roll up his sleeves
He thought of his father and his father before him
He remembered his paternal lineage
And how he was the first one to leave
He was the first in his family to move away from the old town
Well he didn't come here for forgiveness
He didn't return to ask for apologies or pardons
There isn't a lot they can say
There's not much they can do to stop him
'Cause I remember the reasons he first ran away
He remembers why he left the old town in the first place
He's a rebel
He's a nonconformist
Just a rebel
A rebel and nothing more
Got his back to the wall
He's in a difficult or dangerous situation
Gonna fight 'til he falls
He's going to keep fighting until he can't anymore
He's a rebel
He's a nonconformist
Don't ever look back - don't surrender
Never give up in the face of adversity
The old men say they've seen it before
The older generation has seen similar behavior before
Oh they drink their beer and they talk about friends
They reminisce about their friends while drinking beer
Who didn't come back from the war
Friends who didn't return from a past war
Don't say he's too young to remember
Young people can still remember important things
Don't tell him what's wrong or what's right
Let him make his own choices about what's wrong or right
Just give him a chance to go out there and fight
Give him the opportunity to fight for his beliefs
He's a rebel
He's a nonconformist
Just a rebel
A rebel and nothing more
All the battles are won
All the conflicts are resolved
But he's still on the run
He's still continuing to fight against the system
He's a rebel
He's a nonconformist
When it comes time for leavin'
When it's time to depart
Don't stand in my way
Don't obstruct my path
There's nothin' left for me here
There's nothing left for him to do or to gain in the old town
Gonna run, run away
He's going to escape
In the morning he walks past the old house
He takes a walk near his old house in the morning
In the rain under grey northern skies
The weather is cold and dim when he takes this walk
There's a new coat of paint on the front garden gate
The front gate has a fresh coat of paint
But there's more there than first meets the eye
The house has some hidden significance that can't be seen at first glance
For a moment he stands undecided
He is indecisive when confronted with the old house
Looking back on the days of his youth
He remembers his earlier days
As two worlds collide in a moment of truth
His past and present lives merge in a moment of realization
He's a rebel
He's a nonconformist
Contributed by Bentley F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jacqui Beban
I have listened to this song on Remembrance Day every year since it was released. It still gives me chills. The lyrics and the voice are amazing ~ but what gets me every time is the music! Thank you for sharing this with us ~ beautiful. We will Remember
Martin Bøgelund Arvidsen
Still such a strong voice 🙏🏻❤️ The soundtrack of my youth
vlastak45
Absolutely fantastic song, one of my top favorites all time!
Christopher Gowin
One of my all time favorites. That whole album just smokes!
Gustavo Gomes dos Santos
Grande Bryan Adams linda musica perfeita desde 1984 quando eu tinha 14 anos de idade já curtia Bryan Adams e sempre vou curtir Bryan Adams show de bola
Lewam Tsehaye
Bryan Adams,unforgettable singer with an amazing voice!
Sky Dance
Bryan Adams, I've been a fan of yours since the beginning. May my words of encouragement and appreciation reach you wherever you are and in whatsoever condition you may find yourself in. Love and respect!
Sky Dance
@Bryan Adams I'm elated and very honored to receive a reply from you sir, thank you so much! Wishing you blessings throughout the holiday season and onward into the New Year! Regards from Montana, USA!
Archit Srivastava
One of the most underrated songs of Bryan...
Allan Mackay
Wow what a great live version , the voice is still amazing . I remember hearing this song when you played into the fire tour in 87 Glasgow .amazing and well done for making this video for this memorable day . God bless Bryan